Happy Knit Year

OK, so many of you know we (or at least I) have been somewhat obsessed with knitting the last few months. I did knit quite a few gifts, and photos like this make it seem worth it, right?

Lucy's First Snow Day

We've experienced our first snow storm of the season, and it's Lucy's first major snow storm (not counting the skiff we had a couple weeks ago). Since she has a flare for the dramatic, she was running laps this morning launching herself into somersaults in the snow. She soon discovered that eating snow was also fun, so we threw snowballs around the backyard and took some pictures, snowy face and all.

Lucy stalking a snowball

OBAMA-GLO

I was cautiously optimistic for an Obama victory, but silently and greedily hopeful for a mandate. We shed a few tears at the news as well as during various moments of Obama's speech. Whoever tried to persuade us that words don't matter has never studied history and its great orators. Now onto the greater challenge of taking words to action, but you've got to start somewhere.

Although Utah remains red, Salt Lake County moves further towards blue with a good county mayor and a county council with 5-4 dems to gop, and that should count for something for those of us who like living here and operate within a progressive and dynamic community.

Knitting

L & I have taken up knitting. We figure as long as we're watching baseball (please even it up Red Sox!) or cable TV for the political scene (which sometimes feels like watching a train wreck -- i.e. no matter how awful, you just can't look away), we may as well get something accomplished. Like beanie hats. Or scarves. Or. . . well, that's all we know how to do for the moment, but be sure to watch for the fingerless gloves and felted handbags.

We got started knitting because a friend and client of mine opened a knitting shop called Blazing Needles. If you have always thought (like I have) that knitting was for other people, Blazing Needles will definitely change your mind, even if you don't take up knitting. Visit them at 1365 South 1100 East, and definitely come by for Knit Night on Thursday evenings, usually complete with a bit of cheese and wine.

So far, I've learned that I am a "twisted" knitter and that you need a few accessories in order to really become a knitter, including several sizes of needles (who knew!?) and markers and patterns. Unless all you want to knit are hot pads I suppose.

McCain under siege!

The idea that Katie Couric is such a fastball interviewer is mostly laughable (and I actually do like Katie Couric--but not necessarily as a hard news anchor). Good thing Senator (Pouter) McCain straightened us out on that one (and Pat Bagley remains one of the most brilliant political cartoonist from our great state of Utah). Poor little Palin.

Stupid, careless people.

On Saturday, just as we were heading home from the market and other errands in SLC, we entered the freeway at 21st South and as suddenly as a ball flying at your head that you didn't know was being thrown at you, we saw a giant obstacle on I-15. As the cars in front of us parted--like Moses parting the Red Sea--I spotted it and yelled and L. responded as well as could be given the circumstances, which is to say that she didn't completely drive over the top of the whole thing which probably would have flipped the car and resulted in a total disaster BUT INSTEAD, L maneuvered quickly to only hit with the front left driver side bumper and we were lucky no one was behind us in the right hand lanes as she navigated to the right shoulder.

Except for some damage to the car (front bumper and ripped out tire well), we were all totally fine, including little Lucy who I was holding in my lap in the front seat.

Looking ahead to see who might be the culprit, we saw two 20-something clean cut guys walking back along the shoulder from their pick-up truck that held several other of the large obstacles (we later found out were enormous ottomans--and if I didn't hate oversized furniture before, I really do now). They nervously asked if we were ok and went back to talk to the Utah Highway Patrolman who was attempting to get the ottoman off the freeway to avoid further havoc for others. I was just so angry at their carelessness and seeming lack of understanding that what the did could have actually killed people, that I just glared back at them.

Stupidity is getting on a freeway and going (at least) 65 miles an hour with 6 enormous ottomans in a pick-up truck that are tied down with bungee cords, incurring a large fine with citation and having to pay for a rental car and body shop repair work, not to mention ruining everyone's Saturday afternoon.

Blogging Slackers & NYC trip

OK, so we've found ourselves way more busy than we intended for Summer 2008. It was, in fact, at the beginning of the summer supposed to be a relaxed-maybe-we'll-go-do- short-trips-to-the-Uintas- maybe-not kind of summer. We didn't anticipate a NYC trip (for L's work) or a California trip (for J's cousin's wedding) when we bought all our concert tickets, so the result has been a bit--for us anyway--like living like rock stars.

I think we have averaged at least 3 concerts a week since July. In August alone, we've seen Keb Mo, Ruthie Foster, and others up at the Snowbird Rock n Blues festival along with Wilco, KT Tunstall, and Broken Social Scene. We still have Bonnie Raitt and Neko Case left to go, not to mention Al Green, John Hiatt, and Joan Osborne in September. It has been a blast! But I think I'm looking forward to winter hibernation, or at least fall turtlenecks, more than I normally would.

Anyway, although we do have a fantastic California trip to blog about, I'll wait on that to review just briefly the NYC trip, during which I played and L worked. I spent a couple of nice unseasonably pleasant afternoons with old friends and wandered around a bit walking across the Brooklyn Bridge and to the Met. Fortunately, meals are mostly together and we like to find a gem now and then, so thanks for my cousin Andy who used to live in Brooklyn, our gem this time around was a place called Supper in the East Village. Although I know it might sound silly with all the choices there are in NYC, we actually went to this place twice, almost solely for the freshest mozarella we have ever eaten--a burrata mozarella imported twice weekly from Italy that practically fell apart on the plate but perfectly complemented all of the usual caprese salad ingredients--tomatoes, basil, olive oil, balsamic. In fact, this little appetizer actually cost more than either of our entrees, but it was completely worth it. Aside from the tasty food, the place had a great vibe and we definitely felt we were nearly living like locals eating there.